


your heart is your masterpiece

by closingdoors



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: F/F, Family Fluff, except... you know... that last scene. you know what i'm getting at, happy second anniversary to Official Girlfriends™
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22851682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closingdoors/pseuds/closingdoors
Summary: A series of soft mornings featuring Charity, Vanessa, and their boys.
Relationships: Charity Dingle/Vanessa Woodfield
Comments: 16
Kudos: 150





	your heart is your masterpiece

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something for their anniversary, but couldn't think of what, so I asked for y'all to send me some prompts on my curiouscat. One anon requested soft mornings (especially focused on Vanity bonding with their respective partners' kids) and this is what came of the prompt. Enjoy!

You are an artist  
And your heart is your masterpiece  
And I'll keep it safe

**I'll Keep You Safe, Sleeping At Last**

* * *

Most mornings there's a fight over who's used all the hot water. Noah, soap dodging teenager that he is, always swears blind it isn't him. Paddy showers in the evenings, so it isn't him. They bathe the little ones before bed, too. Which leaves the fight between her, Vanessa, and Chas.

She likes to blame Vanessa, just to watch her scrunch her nose and tell her off. Chas, normally towel-clad with half her shampoo still in her hair because the water ran freezing halfway through washing it, yells at the pair of them and threatens them with a shower schedule. 

What they don't tell her is, most mornings, it's the pair of them in the shower. It'd been easier to get away with when Vanessa had still lived at Tug Ghyll, on weekends when Ross had Moses and Frank had taken Johnny out. She'd hated the idea of missing Vanessa and all that bare skin beneath the hot spray when they moved in to the pub, even as Vanessa had blushed and insisted they'd get caught out one day.

It's different following the stabbing. Vanessa can't get her stitches wet. Bathing and showers are a no-go. Vanessa gets up at the crack of dawn, Charity stirring because she's always been a light sleeper - she's had to be - and Vanessa cleans herself up as best as she can, but she can't manage her hair by herself. The stitches tug too much.

So Charity follows her in, keeping her footsteps quiet so the other members of the house don't hear them, and help her without needing to be asked.

"I'm sorry," Vanessa murmurs, her back pressed to the side of the bathtub as Charity unhooks the shower head, making sure the water is warm enough that it's comfortable but won't scald her. "Hardly what you thought you were signing up for when you proposed, eh?" 

"Hey, it's not me who's got the bad end of the deal. Stuck with me now, aren't you?" 

Vanessa sighs, leaning her head back and closing her eyes as Charity begins washing her hair.

"You know it doesn't feel like I'm stuck." 

"Then you know I don't mind this either, babe," Charity says, filling her palms with shampoo. She massages it into Vanessa's scalp gently, letting her nails scratch on the parts that make Vanessa's shoulders drop their tension. "If it's a choice out of losing you or keeping you like this, I think we both know what the winner is."

She tries to convince Vanessa to head back into their room to rest, but Vanessa is stubborn as anything. She stays resting against the bathtub, tired and gorgeous, watching Charity shower. Charity puts on a show just to make her laugh.

The rest of the house begins to wake by the time they're dressed. Vanessa sits at their dressing table and Charity takes her time blowdrying Vanessa's hair. When she's done, she pulls it up into a ponytail, the way Vanessa's so fond of doing. She twists the end of it around her index finger, watching it bounce when she releases it.

"Thanks," Vanessa mumbles, eyes trained on her reflection in the mirror.

Charity presses a kiss to her temple and squeezes her shoulder.

Later, when they're downstairs eating breakfast, they hear Chas screech as the water turns cold in the middle of her shower. Their eyes meet and they both burst into laughter.

* * *

It's her day off, and Charity had said she'd take the boys to nursery since she had to be up for the drayman this morning, so the last thing she expects during her lie-in is for her phone to start belting its ringtone on the dresser. Vanessa groans and doesn't pay attention to the caller ID before she answers.

"Hello?" 

"Hi, this is Miss Woodfield?" 

"Speaking," she says, smothering her yawn with her forearm. 

"I'm calling from the nursery. Sorry, I tried calling Miss Dingle, but she didn't answer. I'm afraid Moses has come down with a temperature. He - "

"I'll be there in ten minutes," she interrupts, already throwing the duvet covers back.

She throws her coat on over her pyjamas, stuffing her feet into boots. The nursery won't mind that she's a little unkempt; she'd rather get to Moses quicker than be presentable. He's no good at being sick, just like his mother.

It's only half nine, so Chas is still eating her breakfast when she gets downstairs. 

"Where's Charity?" She asks, trying and failing to find her car keys. She'd bought a dish for them all to drop their keys into but most of the time she forgets to use it. "The nursery's been trying to call her, apparently hasn't answered."

"Problem with the delivery, so now we've got next to basically no mixers. Charity's had to head into town to get something to cover us until they can get us more tomorrow." 

Vanessa lifts a pillow on the sofa and finds her car keys there.

"That's very helpful of her."

Chas rolls her eyes. "Had to promise my babysitting services on Friday in exchange, didn't I? Apparently you two have got plans." 

Vanessa's heart flutters in her chest and she hopes her cheeks aren't as red as they feel. She fiddles with the keys in her hands. 

"It's our anniversary on Friday."

"Good on you, love. Here's to many more, eh?" Chas says, tipping her mug towards her.

Vanessa's grinning like an idiot as she drives to collect Moses. She and Charity hadn't discussed how they were going to celebrate, though she had made sure Rhona was on call-outs instead of her, and she's already got her a little something as a present. Maybe Charity's going to surprise her? As much as Charity likes to pretend she's hard as nails, she's a big softie on the inside.

Moses is tearful when she arrives. Johnny's trying to cheer him up by bringing him toys. She collects the both of them and Moses falls asleep on the drive home. Johnny demands that she plays his favourite song anyway. _It helps him sleep better,_ he insists.

She rouses Moses for long enough to give him some medicine. He's grumpy and clings to her when she tries to leave him in his bed, so she sticks a movie on the telly and changes the pair of them into their pyjamas. Johnny sits on the floor playing with his cars, running them over her feet, while Moses drapes himself over her side, his warm cheek pressed against her shoulder, his hand fisted in her dressing gown.

Charity bursts into the room some time later, breathless until her eyes land on the three of them. Johnny lights up and toddles towards her. She lifts him onto her hip and kisses his hair.

"I was in Hotten when I saw the missed calls. I thought..." 

"We're okay, aren't we boys? Someone's just a little under the weather, isn't that right?" 

Moses nods sullenly, lower lip pushed out in a pout. Charity seats herself beside her, the boys between them, letting her arm drape against the back of the sofa so that her fingers curl at the back of Vanessa's neck.

Moses still clings to her but he calms when Charity squeezes his leg. 

"What're we watching, then?" Charity asks, and she feels Moses smile against her shoulder.

* * *

Vanessa and Noah aren't half as sneaky as they think they are. Ignoring the fact Noah had been grumbling the whole time Vanessa had, undoubtedly, forced him down the stairs, the clang of pots and pans and them telling Moses to be quiet has been louder than the bloody drayman. 

Charity feigns sleep anyway when they enter the bedroom. Moses climbs up onto the bed and plops himself down against her side, something sharp digging into her shoulder. Noah sighs loudly and Vanessa laughs quietly. 

She pretends to wake when Vanessa shakes her shoulder. Noah's standing at her bedside, scowling when Vanessa nudges him, and he awkwardly offers her the tray in his hands. She takes it, settling it in her lap carefully so that the tea doesn't spill over the edges of the mug. The food looks edible, Vanessa's input no doubt, but for once the tea isn't milky. At least her son knows how to make a decent brew.

"Happy mother's day," Noah says when Vanessa elbows him again.

"Thank you," she says, throat tight, and pats the space beside her that Moses isn't occupying. "C'mon. Hop in."

He blushes. "Mum - "

He stumbles when Vanessa pushes him lightly. She draws a halo over her head when she glares at her. He sits on top of the covers beside her and she turns her attention to Moses, who's holding an envelope and a box of chocolates out to her. Charity lets him open the chocolates for himself, even as Vanessa rolls her eyes, and opens the card. It's signed by Noah and, in Vanessa's handwriting, Moses. 

"Where's Johnnybobs?" She asks, placing the card on the side. 

"He's still asleep. He's proper grumpy when he wakes up," Noah says. 

"Wonder where he gets that from," Vanessa remarks, grinning. 

"Oi. Less of the cheek, missus, or you won't be getting _your_ mother's day present."

Vanessa shrugs. "I don't need anything." 

"Don't be daft. Go wake him up and tell him Charity says mission mother's day is a go. He'll know what I mean."

Noah laughs when Vanessa leaves. Moses is still steadily eating chocolate and she has to pry them from his grip, allowing him one last one. It'll be no fun for any of them if he starts bouncing off of the walls.

"What're you laughing at?" 

"Nothing," he replies quickly. "You gonna eat that or what?"

"You want some?" 

Noah smiles. "Yeah, alright." 

Vanessa's eyes are shining and Charity and Noah have polished the fry off when she returns. Johnny climbs up onto the bed, immediately play-fighting with Moses, as Vanessa places her card on her bedside table and holds the jewellery box out to Noah.

"Help me put this on?"

"What, me?" 

"Yes, you. It's mother's day. That means your mum doesn't have to get out of bed all day."

"Promises, promises," Charity mutters into her brew.

Vanessa rolls her eyes and turns around, holding her hair up. Noah stands and carefully takes the necklace from the box. It's nothing extravagant, just a simple silver chain with Vanessa's birthstone on it. 

Vanessa drops her hair once he's done the clasp and Noah takes a second to smooth it out around her shoulders. The action surprises them both and Noah turns away hastily, volunteering to take the empty tray and dishes downstairs.

Charity pats the empty space beside her and Vanessa slips beneath the sheets to meet her with a kiss.

"You like it?"

"I love it. Thank you, Charity. You seem to have a habit of giving me jewellery recently. _Not_ that I'm complaining."

Charity shrugs nonchalantly, rubbing her thumb over Vanessa's engagement ring.

"Know how to treat a lady, don't I?" 

"But you know I don't need it, don't you? I just need you and the boys." 

"Course, babe. Doesn't mean I can't treat you every now and then though, yeah?" 

"I love you," Vanessa says with a smile.

"Well, you're only human."

Vanessa smacks her shoulder, but she's grinning. Noah returns with a mug of tea. He passes it to Vanessa.

Before they can say anything, the boys launch themselves at him. He catches them before falling back against the mattress, pretending to wail in agony. The boys giggle and Vanessa's grinning so brightly Charity's sure it makes the sun look like a distant shadow.

* * *

Charity tells her she's being daft, that Moses is only turning four and won't remember his birthday, but she still goes overboard with decorations anyway. 

They have to be quiet as they set up. The sun has barely risen and the front room is bathed in the golden glow of early morning, everything still quiet and settled. Charity's sitting at the table, blowing up a balloons one-by-one, while Vanessa sticks up birthday banners. 

"Never thought I'd see the day I saw Charity go so domestic," Chas remarks as she walks in, heading straight to the kettle. "Little bit cute, isn't it?"

Charity glares at her cousin. 

"Careful," Vanessa warns her when the balloon goes too big, threatening to pop.

Charity ties it with more force than necessary.

Noah's the next one downstairs, his school shirt untucked and the top button undone. She tugs on his collar as he walks past her and he scowls, but does the top button up anyway. 

"You don't make this much fuss about _my_ birthday," he complains, pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

Chas takes a seat at the table, setting three mugs down. "Wouldn't you kill them if they did all this for you?" 

"I'm about to pass out over here, babe. Don't think I can do this for every single one of our bloody army of children," Charity moans, taking a break to sip on her brew.

Noah just shrugs. Vanessa makes sure to remember to do something like this for him next year. He'll be sixteen. She's been hesitant to involve herself too much in Noah's birthday. It's one thing for her to make plans for Moses, another thing entirely for Noah. He already thinks she's uncool as it is. 

Upstairs, the floorboards creak in Johnny's room. Charity rolls her eyes and shoves the last few balloons into Noah's hands. 

"Here. You do this. I'll go sort out the early riser." 

Vanessa watches out of the corner of her eye as Noah does as he's told. Curious.

Paddy emerges eventually, Charity following behind with Johnny dressed and eager to take on the day. He's never been any good at sleeping in. Noah hovers once he's done with his cereal. He'll be late for the bus, she thinks with a glance at the clock. She already knows she won't make a big deal out of it, even if Charity complains. She's got the morning off. She can drive him in. 

When it comes time to waking the birthday boy in question, Vanessa gets the honours, since Charity's still complaining about the effort she's put in. Moses rouses slowly but, once his eyes are open, he asks non-stop about his presents. He demands a piggyback down the stairs and she indulges him, even if his arms are too tight around her neck. The sound of his laughter against her ear is worth it. 

Moses shrieks with joy when the whole family bursts into a chorus of happy birthday. He wriggles free to drop down to the floor, running straight for the presents they've set up on the coffee table. 

"This one's from me," Noah says, joining him and pointing to one that's badly-wrapped. She'd taken him out to get something for his brother the other week and he'd been quiet on the ride home.

Moses opens it first. He throws his arms around Noah to hug him after and Noah's eyes meet hers over his shoulder. She turns away nonchalantly and drinks her brew.

* * *

Charity isn't quite sure what it is that wakes her at first. 

"Mummy?"

Charity frowns. The voice doesn't belong to Moses.

She opens her eyes to find the room is still mostly-dark. Outside rain's pattering against the windows and she fumbles for her phone. It's barely five. 

She glances over her shoulder and finds Vanessa's side of the bed's empty. Her fiancée had been on call-outs last night and she'd gone to bed alone. Charity sighs. She must be asleep on the sofa downstairs; she does that when she doesn't get in until late, loathe to wake her, even if Charity's told her she doesn't mind.

"Mummy's not here, Johnnybobs," she tells him as the little boy stares up at her. "It's still early yet, what're you doing up?" 

Johnny reaches his arms up and she lifts him, rolling to set him on her other side. She can't be doing with arguing that he get back in his own bed this early in the morning on her day off. 

He slips under the covers with her, instantly attaching himself to her side. He's as clingy as his mother, she thinks wryly, and runs her hand through his hair. 

"What's up, babe? Bad dream?" 

Johnny nods and grips her a little bit tighter. 

"It was the monster under the bed. He was going ta eat me."

"Eat _you?_ Well, we can't have that, can we? I reckon you'd best stay in here with me, kid." 

"The monster won't come here?" 

"I'll just fight it off, won't I? Proper tough, I am. I've got a black belt in kicking monster butt." 

Johnny giggles. 

"Go back to sleep, babe. If anyone wants to get to you, they'll have to get through me first."

She means it, she loves this kid something fierce. She hadn't known how to act around Johnny when she and Vanessa had first started seeing each other. It's not like she'd had much experience of dating someone who's close to their children before. Now she's not quite sure what she'd do without him. 

Johnny falls back to sleep but Charity stays awake, watching the sun rise. Her phone lights up with a text from Vanessa shortly after six. _You awake? x_

 _Come to bed babe x,_ she replies.

Vanessa enters the room quietly. Johnny barely stirs when she slips in beside them. Vanessa doesn't comment on his presence, just reaches across him to rest her hand on Charity's stomach. Sleep makes her eyelids heavy after that, and she's asleep as the rest of the world wakes up, two of the most important people in her life by her side.

* * *

It's almost impossible to sleep through the thick August heat. She wants to throw the windows open to let the breeze in, but Charity's never been okay with that. She can only sleep with the windows and doors closed. Vanessa's never going to push her into doing something she isn't comfortable with, but she can hardly breathe for how unbearably hot it is right now. They'd thrown the sheets to the floor last night but it's still too much.

Vanessa slogs downstairs, hoping a glass of cold water and a nap on the sofa will cool her down. She finds her idea's already been stolen though. Noah's stretched out across the sofa in his sleep shorts, the fan they've placed in the front room moved so that it's blowing directly on him. 

Vanessa sighs. "There goes my smart idea." 

She pours herself a glass of water anyway, gulping it down greedily. It helps a little. 

"Here, you can have the sofa."

She turns to find Noah's settling on the floor beside the sofa, a cushion propping his head up. She shakes her head.

"Don't be daft. You can't sleep on the floor. I'll just stay up. Doubt I'll get back to sleep when it's like this, anyway." 

"Me neither," he admits, sitting up and tossing the cushion back onto the sofa. 

She hesitates. "I might go round to work, check how the animals we've kept overnight are doing in this heat. D'you fancy coming?"

"You're not gonna expect me to get all teary-eyed over a bunch of puppies, are you?"

"No puppies, no. We do have a lizard though."

"Alright. Cool."

Charity stirs as Vanessa goes upstairs to get changed. She watches her through half-lidded eyes, asking where she's going. Vanessa drops a kiss to her temple and tells her to go back to sleep. Somehow, Charity does. She envies that.

Vanessa fiddles with her keys as she and Noah walk over to the vets. She doesn't try to make conversation, she's found it's easier to let things with Noah flow naturally instead of trying to force it. She admires the blossoming of the village in the full heat of summer instead.

She's always loved summer. She loves the way the world gets that much more colourful. Before she'd met Charity, before she'd moved to the village, summer was always a time she felt less alone. She could go outside and there'd be people there, basking in the sun. It'd been a much more attractive option than staying indoors on her own all winter. Or going out and drinking and taking a man home just to feel something.

She shakes the thought away as she opens the vets up. Most of the animals' water bowls are empty and she refills them. Noah even helps out, speaking softly to a timid cat who flinches when he opens her cage door.

"Did you always want to be a vet?" He asks.

"Not really. I went through a stage of wanting to be a singer when I was a kid. But I always enjoyed science and got good grades. My mum said it'd be a good job to go into and, well, here I am."

"You don't talk about your mum a lot." 

"There's not a lot to say. We don't really speak." 

"Really?"

She shrugs. "It is how it is."

Noah doesn't press for more, though she knows he's tempted. She'd tell him if he asked, but she doesn't want to dump all her emotional baggage on him when they're having a good time, so she stays quiet and shows him that lizard she'd told him about.

They get ready to go once Rhona and Pearl arrive for the day. She doesn't want this moment to end and she takes her time hanging her vet scrubs back up.

Noah points at the cafe as they leave. "D'you reckon I could get a smoothie for helping you out? It's illegal not to pay me for work, you know." 

She rolls her eyes. He's ten times cheekier than his mother most of the time, and that's saying something. 

"Yeah, yeah, alright."

Noah takes a seat when they enter. She tries not to show her surprise; she thought he'd want to get it to go. There's no-one else in the café this early in the morning. Just the two of them. 

In her coat pocket, her phone buzzes. She checks it while she waits for their drinks at the counter. It's from Charity.

_Did you kidnap Noah again? x_

_He's kidnapped me x,_ she types out, her heart tap dancing in her chest.

* * *

Charity wakes before Vanessa on New Year's Day, not that she's surprised. Her fiancée had passed out unceremoniously in the middle of trying to drunkenly seduce her last night. Not her finest moment. She's made plans on how much she's gonna wind her up about it when she wakes up.

Noah and Sarah are already downstairs, laughing at something on Sarah's phone. They abruptly stop laughing once she reaches the bottom.

"What?"

Noah moves away from Sarah, who pockets her phone. Charity narrows her eyes and holds out her hand.

"Alright. Phone. Now." 

Sarah gawps. "I didn't do anything!" 

"You're hiding something and I don't like it. C'mon. Now. Before you start this year grounded."

Noah snickers to himself as Sarah rolls her eyes, unlocking the phone and passing it to Charity. It's a video of Vanessa. She'd barely been able to walk straight the walk home, clinging to Charity for balance while singing a myriad of 80s tunes off-key. 

She has to hide her own laughter. She glances between the two teenagers.

"Send this to me. _Don't_ post it on social media, yeah? Remember she's an adult with a job and there can be consequences to that stuff." 

Noah and Sarah exchange a look. She sighs. 

"What?" 

"Noah sent it to Ryan and Mum. Who sent it to Granny Faith and Chas and - "

Charity rolls her eyes. "Maybe it'll be quicker if you tell me who _hasn't_ seen it, yeah?" 

"Um... Johnny and Moses haven't." 

Charity throws her hands up to the ceiling and heads back upstairs with water and some painkillers for Vanessa's hangover. She shakes her awake, Vanessa groaning groggily, and offers them out to her.

Vanessa winces after she sets the glass of water on the side, pushing herself up to sit. She hadn't taken her makeup off before last night and Charity hadn't had the heart to wake her to take it off, so now there's mascara smudged around her eyes and lipstick around her mouth. The latter might have had something to do with all the making out they'd done.

She still looks adorable, even if it isn't her best look, and her heart beats a little stronger when she remembers it's only her who'll ever get to see Vanessa like this and share those first morning hours with her for the rest of their lives.

"Sorry if I ruined Ryan's surprise. I suggested shots to distract him. I didn't expect to dothat many," Vanessa admits, wrinkling her nose.

"Quite the party animal when I take my eye off you, aren't you babe?" 

"Guess you'll just have to keep your eyes on me all the time then," Vanessa replies easily, rolling onto her side and patting the space beside her. "Starting now." 

Charity raises her eyebrows. "No offence, babe, but you stink of beer and you look like a panda. I've had better offers in my time." 

" _Not_ what I meant and you know it." 

She forgets about ribbing her for falling asleep on her and settles back in bed with Vanessa. Her phone chimes on the bedside table. 

Vanessa lifts her head. "You not gonna see who it is?" 

Charity presses her lips together and holds back her laughter; it'll be the video Sarah sent her. Vanessa rests against her again and her breathing evens out as she falls back to sleep. Charity runs her hand up and down her back rhythmically, happy to soak in the moment.

* * *

"Is mummy poorly?" She hears Johnny ask. 

"Yeah she is, baba, so we have to let her sleep, yeah?" 

"Can I give her my toy? He makes me feel better." 

Vanessa hears Charity sigh before giving in.

The door creaks open and Johnny toddles in, clutching his favourite teddy to his chest. Charity hovers behind him, wary of letting him get too close. Vanessa tries her best to smile at her son when he holds his teddy out to her. 

"He'll make you better, mummy," he says, smiling when she takes it. 

Her whole body aches as she moves, holding the teddy to her own chest now. It smells like him and her eyes sting with tears. She knows Charity will probably blame her overly emotional state on being ill.

"Thank you, Johnny," she gets out. "You be a good boy and do what Charity says today, okay?" 

Charity lifts him up onto her hip. "Hear that, you little terror?" 

"Not a terror!" He exclaims, giggling when she tickles his side. 

"Now, are you gonna be a good boy and go downstairs? Get Noah to make you and Moses some breakfast." 

Enthused at the idea of spending time with his brother, Johnny wriggles to be let down instantly. He pads over to her and pats her hand gently before he leaves, barrelling into Charity's legs when he turns to run out. 

"Sorry mummy," he says to her, and then he's out the door.

Charity's eyes are wide as she watches him go. Vanessa thinks she could weep. 

It takes Charity a second to adjust herself. She clears her throat before crouching down beside her, her fingers running through the hair at Vanessa's temple. Her throat tightens and she closes her eyes. 

"Are you _sure_ you don't want me to call a doctor, babe? I've never seen you this sick." 

"I think one of the other mums at Johnny's nursery had a sick bug the other week. I probably caught it from her. It'll pass," she lies, only she's not sure if she's lying to herself or Charity. 

Charity still looks doubtful. "Only if you're sure." 

"I'm fine. I'll be better in no time," she murmurs. She meets Charity's eyes. "Don't worry about me. Take care of our kids, yeah?" 

Charity's smile is so beautiful that her chest burns at the sight. Charity presses a lingering kiss to her cheek and Vanessa almost comes undone.

"Always, babe," she promises, and Vanessa believes her.


End file.
